KEY POINTS:
Star five-eighths Daniel Carter has been replaced for the All Blacks' last pool game against Romania and is an uncertain starter for the side's quarter-final in Cardiff.
Carter complained of a sore left calf after the side's last serious hit-out at training and after overnight rest and treatment withdrew from tonight's match in Toulouse.
When fit, Carter is an automatic choice. The gilt-edged star and captain Richie McCaw, Mils Muliaina, Chris Jack, Carl Hayman and Jerry Collins have formed the nucleus of the All Blacks during Graham Henry's coaching tenure.
Carter's exit from tonight's match is a minor hiccup but if he could not begin the quarter-final, probably against France, that would damage the All Blacks' prospects of continuing in the campaign.
The outlook for him has to be shaky. That uncertainty was covered in a brief team release yesterday that said his "availability for the All Blacks' quarter-final will be re-assessed early next week".
It has taken lock Keith Robinson more than three weeks to recover from the calf strain he suffered in Corsica, and Muliaina is still not being risked after being diagnosed with a minor hamstring strain.
The extent of Carter's injury has been blurred but the fact that he has damaged his favoured kicking leg adds to the doubt about his recovery for a quarter-final.
Rather than switch deputy five-eighths Nick Evans from fullback, where he is playing tonight to cover for the injured Muliaina and Leon MacDonald, the selectors have promoted Luke McAlister from the bench and brought Doug Howlett into the reserves.
"Luke is an experienced first-five at test level," said Henry. "This will add to our options at the position while we take a sensible approach to Dan's calf strain.
"Our goal through the pool round is to give game time to as many of our 30-man squad as possible. Dan has played two matches already so this has a pretty minor effect on our strategy."
Carter was desperate to play tonight because he felt he was struggling slightly through a lack of matchplay.
His plea was answered by the selectors, but now he is in a week-long race to be fit for Cardiff.
"[Graham Henry] asked me if I was keen and I said, 'Yeah'. I prefer playing and getting a few games under my belt. We're 10 days out from the quarter-final so I'm really looking forward to it."
With 43 tests and one World Cup campaign to his name, Carter is no novice, but he still said he had a couple of things to tweak before he hit peak form at this tournament. Content to play the distributor thus far, Carter said he would be looking to take the line on more at the sharp end of the tournament.
"It's not too far away. My general play has been pretty good. I'm reading the play, seeing what's in front of me and setting up plays, which is good.
"Definitely I can improve my kicking game in the next week or so, but in terms of everything else it's not too far away."
Carter kicked four from nine attempts at Murrayfield in the All Blacks' error-prone display but has otherwise been a class act, particularly his ability to read space behind defences. He mentioned Andrew Mehrtens and Stephen Larkham as players whose ability to create space for others he has most admired.
His goals for this World Cup are disarmingly simple: an All Black victory and "to have that feeling inside that I did the best I possibly could".
Since the All Black selectors decided Carter should be shifted in a place to take over from Carlos Spencer on the 2004 end-of-year trip to Europe, he has been the undisputed backline general.
When he was injured during the Lions series in 2005, he was replaced by McAlister for the final test. MacDonald replaced him for the Tri-Nations that year when he broke a bone in his leg.
The replacements were competent but the All Blacks' backline always has a much better spark and direction when Carter is on duty.
Since then, Evans has suggested he will be the best deputy with his speed, vision and kicking game but injuries have curtailed his opportunities.
